


The Path of Most Resistance

by biqua



Series: Complex [3]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M, Getting Together
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-04-28
Packaged: 2019-04-28 21:08:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14457780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biqua/pseuds/biqua
Summary: Havoc Squad is now sharing their ship with a young Jedi Knight and her Padawan. This would be fine, except the Jedi Knight and the Commander of Havoc can't seem to take their eyes off each other. Worst of all, neither of them is doing anything about it! Everyone else on the ship can see it, so what's holding them back?





	The Path of Most Resistance

**Author's Note:**

> This is a series of what was mostly conceived as one-shots (and a few were originally posted as such), but since they all focus on Badri and Nahin ~~getting their act together~~ starting their relationship and most build directly off the previous, I figured they'd make more sense as one longer fic. Some old one-shots got split into multiple pieces, some new stuff got added, and everything's getting rewritten because parts date back to 2012 and they hurt to read. Man, improvement really is a thing.
> 
> I really love these two idiots, and while already posted fics in this series spoil the fact that they do eventually figure it all out, well... it takes them a little while to get there.

Aric knocked on the door to Emras’s quarters. He heard a muffled “Come in,” and the doors opened.

As he suspected, his commander was inside, pouring over datawork which, realistically, had about a 30% chance of getting finished. In most regards, Emras was turning out to be a more competent, generally better, commander than Aric had expected. There were only two areas where he fell noticeably short: First, datawork, which he had a surprisingly low tolerance for. The second was why Aric was here now, about to push his luck.

Without preamble, he got to the point. “When are you going to tell her?” Aric asked, keeping his voice casual.

Emras looked up from the datapad he had been staring at. From the lack of focus in his look, he couldn’t have been doing much work. “Tell who, what?” he asked.

“The Jedi girl. You like her,” said Aric.

The time for subtlety was over. Quite frankly, the atmosphere on the ship had become intolerable over the past week. Ever since the Jedi had come on board, Emras had been becoming increasingly less subtle himself. The occasional glances of Coruscant had been replaced with smiles when they met again on Nar Shaddaa, and now those had become laughs. The worst part was Aric was fine with the Jedi when she was by herself, but if she and Emras were in the same room, the tension was palpable. It was like they were both ready to jump each other at a moment’s notice, and it was driving him up the wall.

It wasn’t just Aric, either. The Jedi’s Padawan, Kira, had complained to him about the same thing. Apparently it was worse on the Jedi’s end—she was actively distracted by Emras, while the latter maintained enough professionalism that his work wasn’t affected. Just the atmosphere. Although he did tend to immediately draw her into any conversation he was having when she walked in the room.

Aric could have sworn he saw Dorne roll her eyes at them, too, but she hadn’t been vocal about it. Not that she would. The newest member of Havoc was much too devoted to the rulebook to ever suggest things would be _better_ if her CO hooked up with Jedi, but damn it, that would improve things a hell of a lot at this point. Even if it fizzled and they were awkward for a few weeks, at least then they could get over it and this nonsense would _end_.

Emras stared at him for a minute with the same glazed-over look he had been giving the datapad. For some reason, Aric felt that his gaze was much sharper than he let on. Finally, Emras laughed, and said, “How about never?”

That was the wrong answer. “It might be none of my business,” Aric preambled for safety, even though his commander was making it the business of everyone unfortunate enough to share a ship with the two of them, “but it’s pretty clear she feels the same way towards you.”

“She has a Code to follow,” Emras dismissed. “There’s no point in her breaking it for me.”

“Jedi have children pretty often,” he pointed out. Emras wasn’t getting out of this that easily. Aric was tired of having a love-sick CO, and damned if he was going to let some Jedi nonsense screw up his team. For an organization that promoted abstinence, the Jedi certainly had a surprising number of biological offspring.

Emras snorted. “Exactly,” he agreed ruefully. He turned back to his datapad, muttering, “I don’t know why I’m expecting you to understand.”

“I don’t know what you’re expecting me to understand,” he countered. “You like her. She likes you. It’s damn obvious. Where exactly is the problem?”

“I’m the damn problem,” Emras said calmly. It was the calm before the storm, or, more accurately, the calm before he shot someone. Aric had learned to recognize it, and he tensed involuntarily. Setting down his datapad again, Emras looked back up at him. “Do you have plans for shore leave yet?” he asked.

Uncertain of the sudden turn in the conversation, Aric admitted, “No. Why?” They were off to Coruscant, for a mission debrief and then three days shore leave on the capital world.

Emras smiled, but it was twisted with irony. “I need to explain something. Hell, if you’re so damn concerned, I’ll ask Master Nahin to tag along too.”

***

Shore leave arrived, and Aric ended up meeting both the Lieutenant and the Jedi in the heart of Galactic City. Emras had disappeared from the ship, leaving instructions that Aric should meet him at the Coruscant Medical Facility at 1000. With Master Nahin off to give a report of her own, Aric had traveled by himself, grateful for the silence.

Emras and Master Nahin had both arrived by the time Aric found his way to reception. The hospital was nearly a city in of itself. It was more extensive, more advanced, and _larger_ than any other hospital Aric had been to. Master Nahin was standing behind Emras at reception, and gestured for Aric to join her. The receptionist at the desk was greeting Emras as if they were old friends. Maybe they were.

“Hello, Badri,” she said cheerfully. “Here for your maintenance?”

“Yeah,” he half-laughed, half-sighed. “I know I’m a bit early; is Riaah in yet?”

The receptionist laughed. “She’s _always_ in.”

“Don’t I know it,” agreed Emras.

“I’ll call and see if she’s free, if you wouldn’t mind waiting.” She gestured to the lobby around her, chairs and benches set up for exactly that purpose. For as large as the place was, there were not many people waiting here.

“No problem,” Emras said, nodding to Aric and Master Nahin to take a seat. He stayed at the desk, however, leaning over as the receptionist contacted ‘Riaah.’

Aric took a seat on a nearby bench, trying to make sense of the brief conversation he had witnessed. Emras clearly knew the receptionist, and more relevantly, she knew him—she was able to pick him out from the likely hundreds of faces she saw each day. From context, it made the most sense for Riaah to be a doctor, but then why did Emras refer to her so familiarly? From the way the two of them joked about her, it seemed that both were on close terms with Riaah, but that only raised more questions. Was Emras a regular of hers? For what? It wasn’t time for mandatory physicals yet, as Aric had gotten no notification himself, and besides, doctors were normally assigned based on availability and proximity. Aric was yet to have a repeat. It was possible that Emras was specially requesting his, but that lead back to the question of why? And why did he want to bring Aric and Master Nahin along? How would this explain his reluctance to make a move towards her?

“So…”

The Jedi had joined him on the bench as well. She spoke cautiously. “Do you know what’s going on?” she asked Aric.

“Not a clue,” Aric answered truthfully.

“Oh,” the Jedi replied, a little disappointed. “I thought Lieutenant Emras might have told you. I don’t even know why he asked me to come. Or what I’ve come to.”

“Neither do I,” admitted Aric. “He only said he was going to ‘explain something,’” he repeated, remembering the conversation on the ship a few days ago.

Master Nahin made an indistinct noise, pondering his words. Before she could share any further thoughts, Emras walked over to their bench. He simply said, “Onwards,” and they were off into the depths of the hospital.


End file.
